using time out in mootools

Question

I try to execute some functions with time out, this is code from class:

while($$('.visos_prekes ul li.simple').length > 0){
    setTimeout(this.destroyByOne(), 5000);
}

destroyByOne: function(){
    $$('.visos_prekes ul li.simple').each(function(e, key){
        e.destroy();
        if(key > 16){
            return true;
        }
    });
},

but this function executes without time out. What I do wrong?

Answer 1

This line setTimeout(this.destroyByOne(), 5000); should be:

setTimeout(this.destroyByOne, 5000);

Because you need to pass it the function handler aka variable.....and not the result of the function invocation ( this.destroyByOne() ).

Answer 2

This is the correct syntax of the setTimeout function:

var timeoutID = window.setTimeout(func, delay, [param1, param2, ...]);
var timeoutID = window.setTimeout(code, delay);

In which func is the function (name of the function) you want to execute after delay milliseconds while code in the alternate syntax, is a string of code you want to execute after delay milliseconds!

You can use setTimeout in either of the following:

setTimeout(this.destroyByOne, 5000);
setTimeout("this.destroyByOne()", 5000);